Siding and building product

ABSTRACT

A building product includes a pultruded panel including a first wall and a second wall separated by a space, the pultruded panel is configured to provide a stucco-like exterior surface when mounted to a building.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. 119 (e) of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/571,969 filed on May 17, 2004, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

FIELD

This application relates generally to building products and more specifically to a siding system.

BACKGROUND

Stucco sidings on homes provide an aesthetically pleasing and weather resistant surface. More modern synthetic stucco systems like Drivet and EFIS have largely replaced traditional stucco to reduce material and labor costs. Modern synthetic stucco systems have encountered severe product liability issues related to water trapped in the wall cavity that cannot dry out before rot sets in. What is needed is an alternative to stucco and synthetic stucco systems that improves on the cost disadvantages of traditional stucco and the trapped water disadvantages of synthetic stucco. What is needed is a system that provides the exterior look of stucco but is less expensive and allows water in the wall cavity to escape before rot sets in.

SUMMARY

A building product includes a pultruded panel including a first wall and a second wall separated by a space, the pultruded panel configured to provide a stucco-like exterior surface when mounted to a building.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a cross-section view of a panel, in accordance with one embodiment.

FIG. 2 shows a cross-section view of an assembled panel system, in accordance with one embodiment.

FIG. 3 shows a enlarged cross-section view of the interlock of two panels and the stud attachment of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 shows a cross-section view of an assembled panel system, in accordance with one embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, and it is to be understood that the embodiments may be combined or that other embodiments may be utilized and that structural changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

FIG. 1 shows a profile, cross-section view of a panel 100, in accordance with one embodiment. Panel 100 is used as part of a siding system for a building. A plurality of panels 100 can be vertically or horizontally mounted to a building and interlock with one another. These panels 100 resist moisture and wind intrusion into the building wall cavity. In some embodiments, panel 100 includes two panel walls 101 and 102 and a hollow space 140 between the panel walls. In some examples there can be more than one hollow space 140 in a panel. In some hollow panel embodiments, the panel wall 102 facing the studs (and the building wall cavity) has micro-perforations to allow for moisture to escape. In some hollow panel embodiments, the panels 100 are mounted vertically to channel intruding bulk water, such as rain, down the hollow space and away from the building wall cavity. Vertically mounted panels are panels in which the space 140 runs vertically up and down the building.

Panel 100 mates with other panels at its ends. In this example, one end of panel 100 includes a first finger 103 and a second finger 104 that define a U-shaped mounting area 105 therebetween. The other end of the panel includes a curved finger 106 including a shoulder 107 and a cut-out area 108.

FIGS. 2 and 3 show a cross-section, top profile view, of an assembled panel system according to one embodiment. A panel 110 is equivalent to panel 100, as described above. In this example, panels 100 and 110 are mounted vertically (such that space 140 runs vertically up and down the building) and attached to building studs 120 with nails or screws 130. Cut-out area 108 provides a gap for the head of the nail or screw. In other examples, panels 100 and 110 can be nailed over sheathing, instead of being mounted directly to the studs. The two panels 100, 110 are connected at a seam 160. The panels mate such that finger 106 is positioned between fingers 103 and 104 with shoulder 107 abutting the end of finger 103. In mounting the panels, finger 106 of a first panel is inserted into the gap 105 of a second panel and the first panel is then placed flush against the structure and nailed or otherwise fastened through its finger 104 to the structure.

As discussed, each panel can include one or more hollow spaces 140 to channel bulk water away from the building wall cavity. In some embodiments, the panel wall 102, facing the studs, can include a plurality of small holes 163 such as micro-perforations or micro-pores to allow for moisture vapor to pass through the wall, allowing the building wall cavity to release moisture.

In one embodiment, the panels 100 and 110 are constant cross-section profiles formed by pultrusion. This is advantageous because pultrusion can be produced with structural strength to match or exceed traditional wood sheathing. This allows panels 100 to take the place of traditional sheathing and siding, thus greatly simplifying the construction process. Also, pultruded products are also less susceptible to mold and mildew growth than wood products. Pultrusion also does not rot when exposed to moisture in the manner that wood products can. Moreover, since the pultruded members have a relatively high insulative property, they help the insulating value of a structure wall.

Members 100 and 110 can be formed by pultrusion and can include a coating or a film for additional protection from elements or ultraviolet protection. For example, the pultrusion and coating can be as described in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 6,197,412, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Panels 100 and 110 can be various lengths, for example, from a few inches to 30 feet or longer. The members can also have various widths, from a few inches to 4 feet or wider.

In some embodiments, panels 100 and 110 can be pultruded and formed as composite parts. For example, glass, or other reinforcing fibers, are impregnated with resin and pulled through a forming guide and a heated die. The forming guide orients the fibers to be properly placed in the heated die to insure that the pultruded part has uniform reinforcement across its shape. The heated die cures and/or solidifies the resin around the reinforcing fibers, thus forming the composite part. The composite part, having a profile shape, is continuously pulled out of the heated die by a puller. The puller can be a clamp and stroke action from a reciprocating puller, or a smooth action from a caterpillar puller.

Reinforcing fibers used in the example pultrusions can be glass, carbon fiber, kevlar, and other organic and inorganic filaments and fibers. Reinforcement fibers can take the form of filament and strand bundles, called rovings. They also take the form of yarns, texturized yarns, chopped strand mats, continuous strand mats, knitted mats, woven mats, surfacing veils, and many hybrid combinations of rovings, yarns, mats, and veils.

Resin used in example pultrusions can be thermosetting resins like unsaturated polyesters in a styrene solution, or polyurethanes, phenolics, epoxides, thermosetting blends, and other thermosetting resins. Other resins used in pultrusion can be thermoplastic resins based on polyurethanes, acrylics, polyethylenes, and other thermoplastic resins. Resin used in pultrusion can also be thermoplastic resins that are embedded in rovings that melt and form the part inside the pultrusion die.

Resin mixtures in pultrusion can also contain organic, polymeric, and inorganic additives for such properties as shrink control, mold lubrication, colorants, fillers and other specially additives.

In some embodiments, the interlock seam 160 can be covered with sealant to match the color and texture of a weather-resistant coating 170 on the pultruded panels 100 and 110. This embodiment eliminates the appearance of the seam and produces a surface appearance similar to stucco or synthetic stucco. For example, coating 170 can be applied in-line during pultrusion at a low gloss, and can include some texture that from a distance, looks like synthetic stucco. In such an embodiment, there is no “stucco material,” . it just looks like there is. In another embodiment, the panels 100, 110 can be painted or coated with a smooth or textured finish. In general, the outer surface of panels 100, 110 has a stucco-like appearance having a generally flat, non-seamed appearance.

Referring to FIG. 4, in another embodiment the panels 100, 110 can be covered with a thick, plaster-like coating 180 used on synthetic stucco. In a further embodiment, these synthetic stucco coatings can be shaped into decorative patterns. In a further embodiment, the members can be covered in stucco, with and without decorative patterns. In each of these embodiments involving stucco or synthetic stucco coatings, the hollow panel wall still allows for bulk water management and moisture movement, thus maintaining the advantages over traditional stucco or synthetic stucco.

The above description is intended to be illustrative, and not restrictive. Many other embodiments will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the above description. The scope of the invention should, therefore, be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. 

1. A building product comprising: a pultruded panel including a first wall and a second wall separated by a space, the pultruded panel configured to provide a stucco-like exterior surface when mounted to a building.
 2. The building product of claim 1, wherein the pultruded panel includes mating features at each end of the panel to couple to an adjacent pultruded panel having similar mating features.
 3. The building product of claim 1, wherein the second wall includes a plurality of holes to allow moisture to escape through the second wall.
 4. The building product of claim 1, wherein the pultruded panel includes a constant cross-section profile.
 5. A building system: two or more panels mounted adjacent to each other on an outer surface of a structure, each panel including a first wall and a second wall separated by a space, with each space of each panel is oriented in a vertical direction to allow water to flow down the space of the panel.
 6. The building system of claim 5, wherein each panel includes a pultruded composite panel having a constant cross-section profile.
 7. The building system of claim 5, wherein each panel is configured to have a stucco-like exterior surface.
 8. The building system of claim 5, wherein a seam between two of the adjacent panels is covered with sealant or coating.
 9. The building system of claim 5, wherein an outer surface of each of the panels includes a weather resistant coating.
 10. The building system of claim 5, wherein there is a joint between each adjacent panel including a finger of a first panel located within a gap of a second panel.
 11. The building system of claim 5, wherein each panel includes a pultruded panel and the panels are mounted directly to studs of the structure.
 12. A method comprising: fastening two or more panels adjacent to each other on an outer surface of a structure, each panel including a first wall and a second wall separated by a space, with each space of each panel being oriented in a vertical direction to allow water to flow down the space of the panel.
 13. The method of claim 12, wherein each panel includes a pultruded composite panel having a constant cross-section profile.
 14. The method of claim 12, wherein the two or more panels are configured to have a stucco-like exterior surface. 